Way2Cure

Health A-Z

What are drug allergies?

Drug allergies are an allergic reaction to medications. It’s when your body’s immune system overreacts to medications. Your body develops a sensitivity to one of the substances in the medication and “remembers” it as a harmful foreign invader, like bacteria or viruses. The next time you ingest that drug, your immune system releases antibodies to remove it from your body.

A drug allergy can be deadly. If you or a loved one have severe drug allergy symptoms, including swelling of your tongue or throat, trouble breathing, a fast heartbeat, lightheadedness or unconsciousness, you must act quickly:

  • Call 911 or your local emergency number.
  • Go to your nearest emergency room (ER) as soon as possible.